Harmony restored to San Clemente Library clocks

For the first time in nearly a year, all three clocks on the tower of the San Clemente Library agree on what time it is.

Orange County this week installed a new state-of-the-art clock system at a cost of $10,738 to replace three-decade-old clocks that developed minds of their own last year, the hands disagreeing despite efforts to put them back in sync.

"All the clocks are synchronized and show the correct time," said Robert Genzel, county facilities project manager. The downtown clock tower at 242 Avenida Del Mar has new clock hands, drive motors and controllers; a new GPS auto-adjust device; and a new battery backup system, he said.

"They're working fine," said Tony Baker, whose Trabuco Canyon company, TickTockTony, was hired by the county to restore harmony to the clocks.

The library was built in 1981, meaning the clocks were retired after 32 years of service. "Hopefully (the new system) will last quite a bit longer," Genzel said. He said he hopes the city will keep nearby palm trees trimmed so they don't interfere with the hands, as has happened in the past.

Baker said the GPS device will keep the clocks accurate and in sync. The change to daylight-saving time coming March 10 will be automatic, as will the change back to standard time Nov. 3, he said.